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Well done on getting the rest of those leaves out. Sounds like you got the rest of the solids out. The water looks more green in that pic than brown. The next color should be gray. Keep that filter happy as it is doing most of the heavy work now!

No doubt you can see the steps better. Still got a ways to go, but at least you're moving forward. This thread is getting long, and admittedly I haven't looked back lately, but to recap ......
- Verify CYA if not done recently
- Balance FC to CYA and maintain
- Brush as often and/or as schedule allows; vacuum debris as well
- Watch pressure gauge for 25% increase to clean
- Continue to inspect anything within eye's distance.

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I didn't need to add bleach when I woke up - I bumped up to 14 before bed, and it was 14 when I woke up. So I lost no fc overnight? Or to the sun - overcast and rainy all day. Hmm...

The black stuff that is settling, I guess dead algae, is odd. It comes back to the same place every-time, in the same pattern. I find it nearly impossible to vac up, getting near it just poofs away even if I go slowly. I brush it away, but I am not sure the filter is able to catch this stuff.

I had some deck/coping work done last year and a ton of cement dust got into the pool. After I realized it was going to take an eternity to filter out I just dumped 1/3-1/2 the water and refilled fresh. Probably cost me $25-50 and I was back to clear much, much sooner.

I have hesitated posting this because of your equipment issues; it's kind of important to be sure all that is working properly otherwise the problems are just going to come back.

Depending on your water costs it may be worth considering. It's never advised to drain below 1 ft in the shallow end in a liner pool.

The black stuff that is settling, I guess dead algae, is odd. It comes back to the same place every-time, in the same pattern. I find it nearly impossible to vac up, getting near it just poofs away even if I go slowly. I brush it away, but I am not sure the filter is able to catch this stuff.

It could be dead algae, dirt form the storms, oxidizing iron particulate (all the orange)
Are you able to loosen and adjust the returns now that you can see them? It sounds like a circulation adjustment is in order

Well-known member

Based on the clarity of the shallow end in that pic, your deep end must be deeP!

It could be dead algae, dirt form the storms, oxidizing iron particulate (all the orange)
Are you able to loosen and adjust the returns now that you can see them? It sounds like a circulation adjustment is in order

x100 for that GIF!!!
Just remember, only count the days from your new filter/install. All you were doing prior to that is killing the algae, but not removing it

I am so scared to mess with stuff in case I break something lol. The eyelet return looks like it will loosen if I twist it... but will it just come off if it's not meant to? Pushing on it does nothing.

Oxidizing iron.. It is strange but if you look where the black spots are you can see the orange color is lighter underneath, almost white in some places, like either it is lifting there or it didn't stain there to begin with because whatever that is keeps settling there. 99% of the liner is orange, though.

I think the deep end is at least 8.5, possibly deeper! I noticed today, if I look REALLY hard, I can make out more of those black blotches, so maybe in the next day or so I'll be able to see the floor of the deep end. I can brush those blotches away, too, but they settle back so quickly, I don't know how to get them to the filter.

I also spotted 2 pennies in the shallow end. Are they leeching metals in the pool? I would assume that would be copper, though, unless they're super old, and my symptoms seem to be iron (green water, orange stain, goes away with Vit C)

When I have dirt or stuff in my pool it always collects in the same spot as well. For me it is where the divots and such are in my pool bottom.

Can you lift/tilt the vacuum head so the leading edge is up a bit? If you can then turn you pump on high then try going oh so slow with the head or even the side is up a bit and see if that will help you suck up the stuff.

Well-known member

When I have dirt or stuff in my pool it always collects in the same spot as well. For me it is where the divots and such are in my pool bottom.

Can you lift/tilt the vacuum head so the leading edge is up a bit? If you can then turn you pump on high then try going oh so slow with the head or even the side is up a bit and see if that will help you suck up the stuff.

Given this situation, what would prevent one from dumping a significant amount of water and refilling with fresh. I know this is a vinyl pool with a liner, but I would guess one could dump 2/3 volume and still be safe.

Given this situation, what would prevent one from dumping a significant amount of water and refilling with fresh. I know this is a vinyl pool with a liner, but I would guess one could dump 2/3 volume and still be safe.

Well-known member

Yeah... every time I backwash the water runs right down into my neighbors area! It is a culdesac type road and I am the second house from the "top", so everything slopes down. I could probably get a hose to the driveway, but I am not sure if we're allowed to drain to the street. Something I need to look up.

OK so, I backwashed and it was filthy (I let it run longer today, didn't want to backwash early and left for several hours for Mothers Day).

And, I can pretty clearly see the bottom of the deep end now with a high powered flashlight! I bet in a day or so I won't need a light at all. There is a teeny bit of leaves. And a huge rock lol.

Alsooooo, unless it is really well camouflaged, I don't HAVE a main drain! Which means all my filtering is happening from the skimmer, and that mystery pipe! That would explain why this is taking soooo long!

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